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WASHINGTONBURG. 



An Uncompleted Paper by the late Chris 
tian P. Humrich, Esq., Read Before the 
Hamilton Library Association, Carlisle, 
Pa., February 19th, 1907, by His Daugh- 
ter-in-law, Mrs. Charles F. Humrich. 



HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION BY PROFESSOR 
CHARLES P. HIMES. 



The unusual character of the paper upon 
the program for this evening seems to call 
for a brief introductory historical state- 
ment, not so much to supplement or ex- 
plain the paper as to exhibit more clearly 
the character and value of the fragment 
with which Wd are obliged to be content 
this evening; and it may render still 
greater the regret that onr esteemed friend 
and fellow-member was not permitted to 
complete, with the same painstaking care, 
his treatment of the subject, for which he 
was in every way so peculiarly qualified. 

The subject, as announced, — "Wash- 
ingtouburg"— suggests nothing to the 
general public, whatever interest it may 



•C£'7. 



rFJ 



have for local historians. It is a name 
that the published records of the State or 
County do not contain. I am not aware 
that it occurs in any local history. It has 
even been lost to local tradition, which 
seems to have forgotten it so completely, 
that it is absolutely silent in regard to it. 
And yet the name, as an official designa- 
tion, covers a place of recognized import- 
ance, and of great historical interest from 
the very beginning of the Revolutionary 
struggle to its close. A peculiar local 
interest attaches to it, because, whatever 
else may be uncertain, in regard to it, it 
was certainly in the immediate vicinity of 
Carlisle, we might say was a suburb of it. 
But its precise location is undetermined. 
"Where was Washingtonburg?" was one 
of the questions liable to come up at any 
little informal colloquium of local histori- 
ans. And there is more in the query than 
the mere idle curiosity that attaches to a 
vexed question, for, as I have intimated, 
it was more than simply a little suburb, 
with a rather pretentious name, of a half- 
grown village, such as Carlisle was at that 
day. It was a very busy place, and it 
must have been of considerable extent, 
for there were workshops in which were 
manufactured military supplies of the 
most varied character for the Continental 
army; the artificers were numbered by 
hundreds, and had there their lodging and 
boarding houses. It had its magazine, its 
hospital, its guard-house, most likely its 
chaplain. The variety of its products may 
be inferred from a request of "Col. Flow- 
er Commisary General of Military Stores" 
there, that he might "have from Yorktown 
tradesmen for the works of Carlisle, Car- 
penters, Farriers, Gun Smiths, Tinmen, 
Saddlers', Shoemakers." These products 
were sent to the northern and southern divi- 



t : tt^ 



3 

sious of the army; for it was a National, 
not a State establishment. 

Among; the best evidences of the large 
force of workmen employed, perhaps there 
is none more conclusive than the size of a 
meat bill, Feb. 7, 1681, as follows:— "Sold 
to Col. Sam'l Lyon Commissary of Pur- 
chases for Cumberland County 150 head of 
beef cattle for the use of the public, to 
supply the artificers and others at the 
Continental works near Carlisle." 

It was, too, an up to-date, or rather an 
away -ahead -of date establishment, at 
least in regard to the fuel employed. 
Whilst the mountains on both sides of the 
val'ey then abounded in timber, which 
furnished charcoal for the iron works in 
operation at different points, and whilst 
charcoal was doubtless used at the public 
works, mineral coal, not qituminous coal 
such as modern blacksmiths use. but the 
hardest anthracite coal, from the Wilkes- 
barre region, was used, brought down the 
river in flat boats or arks, to a point op- 
posite Harris' ferry, and hauled in wagons 
to Carlisle. Tnis was perhaps the first use 
of such coal, at least on such a scale, and 
for industrial purposes. 

Whilst the name — "Washingtonburg" — 
clearly indicates a date subsequent to '76, 
and it is an unboubted fact that the works 
were in course of erection in 1777, under 
Continental officers, it is highly probable 
that magazines, and possibly work shops 
on a smaller scale were located at the 
same place in Colonial days, and that they 
contributed their full share to the equip- 
ment of the various expeditions to points 
westward from this frontier town. Such 
works would naturally form the nucleus 
of the more extensive works subsequently 
established here, as a place secure from 
capture or molestation by the forces of 



King George. Perhaps any military maga- 
zines or works here, belonging to his 
Majesty, may have been taken over by the 
patriots of '76 quietly, and without osten- 
tation, much as the seceding states took 
over the property of the Federal govern- 
ment, as soon as they had resolved to 
throw off their allegiance to it. But, 
whatever may have been the character of 
the post in preRevolutionary times, it is 
certain that it acquired a new and much 
enlarged importance upon the outbreak of 
hostilities. Although "public works" are 
mentioned frequently in documents, as at 
or near Carlisle, Carlisle and Washing- 
tonburg are not to be confounded. Wash- 
ingtonburg was near Carlisle, but not a 
part of Carlisle, and as a military post was 
independent of it, and Carlisle as a tuili- 
tary post had its own officers, especially 
to 'D. Q. M. Q.," Deputy Quarter Master 
General — upon whom the officers at Wash- 
ingtonburg made frequent requisitions for 
Continental wagons, to haul wood, boards, 
gun stock wood, iron, bricks, etc , to the 
"public works," logs to the saw mills, etc., 
and for "Continental" horses for artiticers 
to make trips to Lancaster and elsewhere 
for tools or on business connected with 
the operations. Continental horses were 
evidently in better repute than Continen- 
tal money. These requisitions, as far as 
the documents in my possession go, are 
invariably from "Washiagtonburg," and 
Higned by officers at that post, as the 
"!Supt. and K. of Stores," or sometimes 
by "Capt. of A. and A.," that is "Captain 
of Artificers and Artillery," or by Col. 
Flower as "Commissary General of Mili- 
tary Stores." To such an extent were 
these demands made upon the (Quarter 
Masters' department at Carlisle, that it 
was found necessary for that officer to ap- 



point a special "P. M.," — "Forrage Mas- 
ter"— for Wa8tiiugtonbarg. 

All ttie documents thus far alluded to 
are of a purely military and formal char- 
acter, such as orders, receipts, and so 
forth. This might suggest that possibly 
the name "Washingtonburg" had never 
been used otherwise, and consequently 
did not survive the abandonment of the 
post, and afiford a plausible explanation 
of its absence from local traditions. But 
J. D. Hemminger, Esq., in his investiga- 
tions for his admirable paper on the 
"Bridges of Cumberland County," read 
before the Association, came across a 
document in which "Washingtouburg" is 
mentioned, which is of unique interest, 
not only for the information it conveys as 
to the location of that place, but because 
it is not in any sense a military docu- 
ment, and in that it has appended to it 
the names of seventy-nine prominent citi- 
zens of Carlisle and vicinity. Ic is a peti- 
tion to the Court of General Quarter Ses- 
sions at Carlisle, dated January, 1779, of 
"inhabitants of the town of Carlisle and 
parts adjacent in the county," setting 
forth that "Whereas by very many wa- 
gons and teams of late travelling between 
Carlisle and Washingtonburg over Le Tort 
Spring opposite to the east end of High 
street, (the earth on the east side of said 
spring being a kiad of marie) the bank is 
so worn away that it is almost become 
impracticable (or any loaded wagon to 
pass through said spring with safety," 
that a bridge is absolutely necessary, and 
requesting the justices, the grand jury 
men, and the board of commissioners and 
assessors to take a walk and look at it. 
This clearly shows that the citizens recog- 
nized "Washingtonburg" as the name of 
a place. But whilst this document clear- 



ly indicates a point directly east of the 
town, it does not necessarily locate Wash- 
ingtonburg precisely, or controvert the 
conclusion that it might have occupied 
the site, or about the site, of the present 
Indian Industrial School to the northeast 
of the town, as the road alluded to would 
connect immediately with the lane lead- 
ing to that point, where the ground was 
better adopted to occupation. These 
works seem to have been in continuous 
operation during the whole of the Kevolu 
tionary war, but must have been aband- 
oned soon after the cessation of hostili- 
ties, for already in 1784, Arthur Lee, in 
passing through Carlisle, noted in his 
journal, — "There is here a very complete 
set of buildings for arseuals, raised at 
Continental expense, but not used and 
therefore going into ruin." Four years 
later, 1788, John Penn in writing in his 
journal of his arrival in Carlisle, from 
Harrisburg, says: "The first buildings 
seen here are three or four separate wings 
intended for magazines originally but said 
to be granted by Congress to the trustees 
of Dickinson College for twenty years, 
but on inquiry I find they are negotiating 
but have not concluded a bargain," but 
he states further, that Dr. Nisbet lived in 
■^ one of the buildings. * 

Just as the name "Washingtonburg" 
has been completely lost to tradition, so 
have all vestiges of these extensive works 
disappeared from the topography of the 
locality. No identifiable remains of build- 
ings, or fragments of objects have been 
discovered, with perhaps one interesting 
exception, — the so called "guard house" 
at the Indian Industrial School. The gen 

*See also, Wing's Hlstx)ry of the Pli'st Presby- 
terian churcla, Carlisle, Pa , p. 123 ; Hlmes' His- 
tory of Dickinson CoUeg-', p. 40. 



eral character of this small substantial 
stone building leaves little doubt that it 
was built at an early date. Although used 
as the guard house of the military post of 
recent years, it is designated in earlier de- 
scriptions as the 'magazine/which it doubt- 
less was. It may indeed, in part at least, 
antedate the Revolutionary period. Tradi- 
tion says it was built by Hessian prison- 
ers captured at Trenton. Perhaps it was. 
There is no need to disturb that tradition. 
Many of the Hessian prisoners were ex- 
cellent workmen. Some might have been 
found well adapted to this work, when 
Col. Flower was asking for workmen from 
York in 1777, at the time of the erection 
of the works, and when the government 
was looking anxiously for a place of 
greater security for the Hessian prisoners 
held at that place, which was thought to 
be in immediate danger of an attack by 
way of Baltimore. But there is no evi- 
dence that Carlisle was a place of deten- 
tion of any considerable body of Hessian 
prisoners at that time. On the contrary 
the sub lieutenant of Cumberland county 
refused, on request of the "Commissary 
General of Prisoners", to receive, or fur- 
nish guards for the prisoners which they 
were anxiously desirous of removing from 
York to Carlisle, as a place of greater 
security. 

These few facts, many from unpublished 
documents, may serve to justify the inter- 
est manifested in this old military post, 
and especially in its location. Among 
those who had investigated the subject 
was one who seemed to have run out every 
clue, many of them furnished by docu- 
ments in his own possession, our late 
highly esteemed member. Christian P. 
Humrich, Esq. He seemed to have reach- 
ed positive eouelusions on many obscure 



8 

points, and to have cleared them up to his 
satisfaction. It would hardly state the 
fact to say that he was requested to pre- 
pare a paper upon the subject, but rather 
that he was appointed to do so. With his 
loyalty to the Association and historic 
elucidation he accepted the duty imposed. 
He was able only to complete the intro- 
ductory portion, but that has been done 
so thoroughly and so broadly, and has so 
much of general interest in it, that the 
Association requested the privilege of 
having it read, even though only a histori- 
cal fragment, at one of its regular meet- 
ings, and placed on its annual program. 
I am sure that after it has been heard, the 
regret of everyone will be the greater that 
he was not permitted to finish it with the 
same thoroughness. 

It was regarded as eminently appropriate 
that some one intimately connected with 
nim should read his paper before the As- 
sociation, and it was peculiarly gratifying 
to find one so competent, wiliingto accede 
to the request of the Association, herself a 
valued contributor to our local history. It 
gives me great pleasure, therefore, to pre- 
sent Mrs. Charles F. Humrich, a daughter- 
in-law of the writer, who will read the 
paper, and 1 may add, she is the first 
woman who will have honored the Asso- 
ciation in that way. 



PAPER BY LATE CHRISTIAN P. HUMRICH 
(UNCOMPLTED.) 



The County of Cumberland in the Piov- 
inee of Pennsylvania, was organized 
under the Act of January 27, 1750. In 
point of time it was the sixth, having been 
preceded by Philadelphia, Chester, Bucks, 
Lancaster and York Counties. In extent 
it was greater than all of these combined 
as its title, viz: "An act for erecting part 
of the Province of Pennsylvania, westward 
of the Sttsquehannah River and northward 
and westward of tue County of York into 
a County", indicates. This Act directed 
"that all and singular the lands lying 
within the Province of Pennsylvania, 
aforesaid, to the Westward of Susquehan- 
uah and Northward and Westward of the 
County of York, (now York and Adams), 
be and hereby are erected into a County 
named and hereafter to be called Cumber- 
land, bounded Northward and Westward 
with the line of the Province, Eastward 
partly with the River Susquehannah and 
partly with the said County of York, and 
Southward in part by said County of York, 
and partly by the line dividing said Prov- 
ince from that of Maryland. Chapter 
CCCLXXX Statutes at Large of Pennsyl- 
vania, Vol. 5, Page 87: Bioren's Laws of 
Penna. Edition 1810, Vol. 1, Page 201. 

From these recitals it is readily seen 
that the purpose of this Act of Assembly 
was not to cut off a part of Lancaster Co. 
and erect the part detached with addition- 



10 

al territory iuto a new County. To tay 
mind it is clear, that Lancaster Co., never 
legally extended beyond the Sasquebaonab 
River, and that Cumberland Co., wben 
organized in 1750 was the frontier County 
throughout its entire extent, and so con- 
tinued until 1771, when Bedford Co. was 
erected, and it then became the frontier. 

The town of Carlisle— the county town 
of Cumberland — was laid out in the year 
1751, the exact date cannot be given, but 
it IS believed that it was as early as April 
of that year. Some of the "tickets" that 
were issued by Tnomas Cooksou, the first 
deputy surveyor in our county, to the 
grantees autnorizing them to take poseb- 
sion of and make improvements on the 
lots granted, which were always designat- 
ed by particular numbers, are dated in 
May of that year, showing that the plot of 
the town was completed, and that build- 
ing improvements could be begun. A 
mortgage given by John McCallister, tav 
ern keeper, as the owner of lot No. 237 
(now on the corner of High and Bedford 
Sts., just east of the county jail, now 
known as the Cumberland Hotel property), 
is dated the 29th of November, 1751, and 
recites that a log house has been erected 
thereon recently, so that the improvement 
of the town may safely be said to com- 
mence with that year. Indeed the evi- 
dence is abundant, that in the year 1751 
the location of the town was fully deter- 
mined; the public square of plots of ground 
in the centre of the town (as they now 
exist) were set apart for particular pur- 
poses, giving the county a site for its pub- 
lic buildings, the town a Market Place 
with the right to hold a Public Market and 
Fair, both of which have continued to this 
day, having been recognized and allowed 
under the Charter of Incorporation by Act 



11 

of the 13th of April 1782, and its supple- 
ments, and also providing the Church of 
England and the Presbyterian Church 
with ground on which to erect their church 
buildings. 

The lines of the streets — two of them 80 
feet, and the others 60 feet wide between 
the building line, and the alleyways 20 
feet wide, were run and definitely fixed on 
the ground, the lots were laid out and 
numbered ready to be awarded to those 
who were willing to accept them on the 
terms proposed. Toese were, that within 
two or at most three years from the date 
of the "ticket", the holder thereof should 
erect a dwelling house on the lot designat- 
ed by the number of his ticket, at 'east 20 
feet square of stone, brick or squared 
tiaiber, with a stone or brick chimney 
therein, and thereafter pay an annual quit 
rent not exceeding 12 shillings to the pro- 
prietaries or their agents lu case default 
was made in complying with the terms 
above named and within the time pro- 
scribed, the license to the grantee was 
forfeited, and the lot which was assigned 
to him was awarded to another who would 
agree to comply with these terms. 

Tne town as thus laid out was confined 
within the bounds and limits as follows: 
on the North by what is now known as 
North St , although its eastern end was 
called at that day HtU St ; on the East by 
what was first called Water St , then 
Howe, and nowE'ist St ; on the South by 
South St.; and on the West by West or 
Allen St., as it was first called. 

Within these limits 312 town lots were 
laid out and consecutively numbered, be- 
ginning at the N. E corner of South and 
West Sts., as No. 1, thence in successive 
order along the line of West St. northward 
to the corner of North and West Sts , 



12 

which was No. 8, and theuce on from 
Sooth St., ruDQiDg northward up to and 
including both the West and the East sides 
of Hanover St., and in the sacae manner 
over the eastern section of the town, until 
the last lot was located at the S. W. cor- 
ner of East and North Sts., which was 
numbered 312. Edch of these lots con- 
tained 60 feet in front on one of the streets 
of the town, and 240 feet in depth to a 20- 
feet wide alley, except those that fronted 
on Hanover St., and those that fronted on 
the East side of East St. Of the latter 
there were 32, having the same front (60 
feet) as the others, and extending to the 
Letort Spring, and therefore of varying 
depth on account of the course of that 
stream, all of which were known as Water 
Lots, and were used as locations for tan- 
neries, distilleries and breweries, and 
were among the very fiist to be improved 
for thfcse particular purposes. 

As indicating thn manner in which these 
lots were taken (with the understanding 
that they were to be built upon, and were 
not sold outright) the return of Gen. John 
Armstrong, deputy surveyor, made the 9th 
of November, 1763, showed that there were 
44 Proprietary Lots — meaning according 
to my understanding that they were re- 
served by the proprietaries, and had not 
been disposed of in any way — 9 vacant 
lots that were marked with a capital letter 
V, and that 190 persons or corporations 
"possessed" 254 lots making 312 in all. 
The Water Lots are not included in this 
return. I know of no town lots within the 
limits above described, whose lines or 
boundaries extended across the spring, and 
as thus laid out, the town was rectangular 
in shape and all of the lots were within 
two blocks of the present intersection of 
High and Hanover S's, except the Water 



13 

Lots just desoribed. 4L 

The early settlers of the town and coun- 
ty were mainly of Scotch Irish extraction, 
and such as are usually found on the 
frontier: men and women, physically 
strong, hardy, courageous, self-reliant and 
self sustaining; accustomed to severe 
trials, exposure and unusual hardships. 
They were not adventurers— squatters for 
the time being, or speculators, awaiting 
the advance iu value of the lands they 
held, and when it came selling out to a 
newcomer, folding their tents and return- 
ing to civilization. They were bonafide 
settlers, in the main industrious and frucal 
in their habits, engaged in making a home 
for themselves and their posterity, which 
they held with a strong hand, and defend- 
ed with their lives when attacked by a 
savage or foreign foe. A like service was 
rendered by them for their friends and 
neighbors, extending northward and west- 
ward to the limits of the province. 

Among the men whose homes were in 
this new county, were those who were en- 
gaged in the learned professions as preach- 
ers, lawyers, doctors and surveyors of 
eminent ability; merchants whose ven- 
tures were to the West ludes including the 
Spanish Province of Louisiana, and the 
City of Orleans on the Mississippi River, 
with return j jurneys and freights by way 
of that river and the Ohio, or overland 
through the Southwest territories of the 
United States; Indian Traders whose 
operations extended through and beyond 
the Ohio River as far as Detroit, and who 
were licensed by the Province to engage 
in that business; mechanics and artisans 
in the various trades and occupations of 
life, such as carpenters and builders, the 
old Court House which was burned in 
March, 1845, a two-story brick building, 



14 

68 feet in frout on S. Hanover St., by 66 
feet in depth on W. High St., iueluding 
the rotunda in which the Judge's bench 
and other structures were placed, as well 
as the material — brick of which it was 
built, are fair samples of the work done 
and the material furnished by the men 
engaged in these avocations as early as 
1765 and 1766; coopers, blacksmiths, gun- 
smiths, forge and furnace men, the iron 
plate attached to the walls of the vestibule 
of this building oast in 1764 at the Cdrlisle 
Furnace located at Boiling Springs, pre- 
senting an example of the work done iu 
that line at that early day; masons, in- 
cluding those who worked in brick and 
stone, and of the latter — stone — there are 
still some examples to be found in the 
town, tanners, wheelwrights, cabinet- 
makers, wagon makers, and those engaged 
in other avocations. There was also a 
large contingent of military men who ren- 
dered efficient services in Provincial and 
Indian wars, including their colaborers, 
namely, express riders, pack horse and 
bullock drivers, teamsters and wagoners. 
The mere mention of such names as 
Bueher, Wilson, Smith, Armstrong, Blaine, 
Buchanan, Croghan, Callender, Duffield, 
Davis, Denny, Henderson, Irvin, McCall- 
ister, McDowell, Trent, BoUoch, Postle- 
thwaite, and a host of others, suggest at 
once their calling or occupation and the 
services rendered by them as detailed in 
the Provincial records and State Archives. 
The Treaty of 1736 extinguished the In- 
dian title to the lands in this valley, the 
line of demarkation being on the top of the 
Kittochtiny or the North or Blue Moun- 
tain. That the lands in the vicinity of 
where Carlisle was located appeared de- 
sirable to the early settlers, readily ap 
pears from the correspondence of Thomas 



15 

Cookson, Esq., with the authorities in 
Philadelphia of April 1 and June 8, 1752, 
iu fixing the location of the county seat 
on the bank of the Letort Spring;. Frona 
this correspondence it clearly appears that 
in order to secure the present location it 
became necessary to purchase the land 
from those who owned it at that day, viz, 
purpart A from Wm. Qillingham, 231 acres 
and 134 perches as shown on the draft of 
the borough of Carlisle accompanying an 
edition of the town ordinances published 
about 1841 This tract of land extended 
westward at least as far as where K. E. 
Shearer now resides; purpart B from Wm. 
and Patrick Davidson, containing 352% 
acres, which covered the main portion of 
the present town site from Louther St, 
southward; purpart C, 380j^ acres from 
John McClure, which included the land 
northward from Louther St. as far as B 
St., and eastward to the Spiing; purpart 
D, from Joseph Clark, containing 274 
acres, covering the lands on the north 
side of the town, and extending at least to 
Blaine's Lane; purpart E, 249)^ acres, 
from Peter Wilkies' Estate which embrac- 
ed the land on the east side of the Letort 
Spring and South of the Koad to Harris' 
Ferry, now known as the TrindleRoad; 
purpart F, containing 255 Acres, from 
James Kilgore, which embraced the land 
north ot the Trindle Road, and east of the 
Letort Spring. 

It is with this lust tract, to wit, purpart 
F, that we have more immediately to do in 
this paper, for upon it was located, (in 
part at least), the Carlisle Barracks, now 
known as the Indian Industrial School, 
and which I hope to show was originally 
known and designated by the military 
authorities occupying the same, as Wash- 
ington or Washingtonburgh. 



16 

I also trust that it will be made to ap- 
pear, that during such cccupaacy, a mili- 
tary hospital was erected and mainfained 
during the Revolutionary War, in addition 
to the Magazine or Guard House still 
standing; that cannon and c.innon car- 
riages and equipoaents, muskets and small 
arms for military use, the ammnnition re- 
quired by these in warfare, with other 
military supplies were all manufactured 
or prepared at this Post, by the Artillery- 
men and ArtiBcers employed there, and 
then forwarded to the Continental Army 
in the field. It will also be shown that in 
the preparation of the ammunition, and 
possibly some of the other supplies, the 
Court House above referred to was used 
as a Laboratory and Score House during 
the year 1778 and thereafter, but for how 
long a period, 1 am not now able to say. 

Before conceding to the details here- 
after to be given 1 propose now to recite 
the boundaries of the borough of Carlisle, 
as given by tne Act of the 14th of March 
(which I presume are the same as those 
fixed by the original Act of Incorporation 
of the 13ch of April, 1782) as determined 
by the survey as made by Gen John Arm- 
strong in the year 1762 or 1763 Thu 
date is found in a volume of the Borough 
Ordinances published I presume in the 
year 1841, as it contains the municipal 
organization for that year, and attached 
to it is the most complute plan or draft of 
the borough lines that I have seen. Tnis 
draft IS more complete than the one to be 
found attached to a copy of the ordinances 
of a more recent date, in this, that it gives 
the course and distance of every line sur- 
rounding the borough. No. 1, beginning 
at a walnut corner tree of land now of 
Thomas Wilson's heirs, being a post at the 
corner of Widow McDonald's outlots; 



17 

tbenee by said lands of Thomas Wilson's 
heirs adjoining the outlots, south 24>^ 
deg. east, 233 perches to a post on the 
Letort Spring; (2) thence down said 
Spring, the diflferent courses thereof, 59 
perches to a white oali at the corner of 
Jonathan Holmes' land; (3) thence by the 
same and adjoining outlots, south 26 deg. 
east, 120 perches to a post; (4) thence by 
the same south 61 deg. east, 121 perches 
to a hickory; (5) thence by the same 
south 41 deg. east, 100 perches to a white 
oak stump; (6) thence by No. I of the 
small tracts of land sold by the late pro- 
prietaries to the inhabitants of the town 
of Carlisle, now in the possession or occu- 
pancy of James Davis, south 49 deg v/nat, 
90 perches to a black oak; (7) theuce by 
Chas, McClure's lauds south 49 deg. west, 
129 perches to a black oak; (8) thence by 
the same north 75 deg west, 21 perches to 
a post; (9) south 40 deg. west, 50 perches 
to a black oak; (10) north 75>^ deg. west, 
154 perches, to a post on Letort Spring; 
(11) thence down said spring, the differ 
ent courses thereof, 44 perchts, to a post 
on the west side of the spring; (12) thence 
by said Chas. McClure's land, in right (as 
is said) of Baynton and Wharton, south 
89 deg. west, 159 perches, and adjoining 
outlots; (13) thence by the same adjoin- 
ing outlots, and commons belonging to the 
town, north 81 deg. west, 135 perches, to 
a post, where a hickory tree formerly 
stood; (14) thence by Ephriam Blaine's 
land in right of Hugh Parker and the late 
proprietaries (as is said), and by John 
Smith & Co. lands, north, 181 perches to a 
post; (15) thence by said John Smith & 
Co.'s land, south 80 deg. west 134 perches 
to 8 post; (16) thence by the same course 
extending by Ephraim Blaine's land, south 
80 deg. west 26 perches; (17) thenee 



18 

north 8 deg east, 142 4 10 perches to a 
post to James Young's line, including the 
outlots; (18) thence by said James Young's 
line south 43 dee. east, 74 perches to a 
hickory, and adjoining outlots; (19) thence 
by the same, north 833^ deg. east, 100 2 
perches to a stone corner; (20) thence by 
the same, north 241^ deg. west, 59 perch- 
es to a post; (21) thence by the same, 
north 87 deg east, 40)^ perches to a post ; 
thence by the same and Ross Mitchell's 
line ; (22) north 2% deg wtst, 177 perches 
to a post; (23) thence along the road laid 
out through Ephraim Blaine's land, fioin 
said Mitchell's hue to said Blaine's mill, 
south 8lj^ deg east, 232 perch«-8, to the 
road leading from Carlisle tovvn to said 
mill; (24) tnence along said Carlisle road 
south 4 deg. west, 22 perches to the place 
of beginning, ineludiog the town of Car- 
lisle, commons, and all the outlots (See 
Ordinance booii of 1841, p-»ges 26 and 27). 
In order now to determine what portion 
of the original lands were embraced within 
the limits of the borough of Carlisle, a 
search of our rtcords discloses but one con- 
veyance by the Penu pioprittaries to the 
United States of America. This is a deed 
from John Penn and Kichard Penn by 
Edmund Physic, Esq., their atrorney-in- 
fuet, to the U. S. of America. It is dated 
on the 13th of January, A D 1801, and re- 
corded on the 20th of January of the same 
year, iu Uecord Book O, Vol. 1, page 79, 
etc., in which is recited and detailed as 
follows: whereas by virtue and in pursu- 
ance of a warrant from the late proprieta 
lies of the Province of Penna , nuder thj 
hand of the Hon. James Hamilton, Esq , 
then Governor of the said Province, and 
the Seal of the Land Office, bearing date 
at Philadelphia, the 5th day of May iu the 
year A.D. 1762, unto John Lukens, Sur- 



19 

veyor Gene-ral, there was surveyed, and 
laid out or resurveyed and laid out in the 
said month of May in the year last afore- 
said, unto and to the use of the said late 
Proprietaries of Penna., among divers oth- 
ers lands and tenements therein mention- 
ed and described, a certain tract of land 
near the town of Carlisle aforesaid, and 
now included within the limits of the bor- 
ough of Cailisle in said county of Cumber- 
land, containiug by metes and bounds of 
the survey thereof 255 acres and allow- 
ance of 6% for roads, bounded by Letort 
Spring, and in return of survey marked by 
the letter "F" as iu and by said survey or 
resurvey duly returned and recorded in 
the Surveyor General's office at Lancaster, 
will fully appear. And whereas the tract 
or piece of laud hereinafter described and 
hereby inteudtd to be granted with the 
appurtenances, beii^g a part of said tract 
marked iu resurvey aforesaid with the let- 
ter "F". Now this indenture witnesses, 
that for and in consideration of $664 20 100 
lawful money of the U. S. of A. paid to 
the said Edamiid Physic, there is granted 
unto the said U S of A , their successors 
and assigns, 'all that certain tract or piece 
of land being part of the tract marked in 
the resurvey aforesntid with the letter 'F', 
situate lying aud being in the borough of 
Carlisle, in the county of Cumb , State of 
Penna , numbered in the general plan of 
Outlots, of said Borough, No. 92, which by 
a survey thereof made by William Alex- 
ander, Surveyor on the 30th day of June, 
now laet past, is bounded and described 
as follows, viz: beginning at a post on the 
hank of the Letort Spring, thence by lands 
belonging to the heirs of Thomas Wilson, 
deed , the four next following courses and 
distances, to wit, south 80 deg. east, 14 
perches to a post, thence north 19 deg. 



20 

fast, 11 7 perches to a post, thence north, 
one deg. west, 38 perches to a post, north. 
GO^ deg. east, 52 perches to a post, four 
perches from the old channel at thp breast 
of the old mill dam, thence south 30 deg, 
east, 35 7 perches to a blacR walnut, cor- 
ner to laud sold by Jonathan Holmes to 
the U. !S., and corner of land of Thomas 
DuDcan, Esq , tQence oy the laud of said 
Thomas Duncan, E^q., south 3l}4 dt-g. 
west, 58}4 perches to a heap of stones, 
corner of Thomas Duncan, E^q , and John 
Hughes' lot, feet, east of the Maga- 
zine, thence by said Hughes' lot, south 
223^ deg. west, 22 perches to a post, thence 
north 84 deg. west, crossing the lane here 
iuafter mentioned and by another lane of 
two perches wide between this land and 
lot of John Montgomery, E^-q , (No. 91), 
46 perches to a post on the bank of tna 
Letort Spring, thence down the said Spring 
to the place of beginning. Containing 27 
Acres and 108 perches, exclusive of the 
said first mentioned lane, which is com 
preheuded within the limits of this survey, 
and contains 82 square perches lying soutu 
and north of the Mui^aziue, and bounding 
on the eastern lane of this survey, which 
lane is intended as well for the common 
use and benefit of the U. S as of the other 
owners of land bounding thereon." This 
conveyance is the special warranty, and 
from the description herein was Outlot 
No. 92 as surveyed or resurveyed by Gen. 
John Armstrong as early as 1762. This 
conveyance covers the southwestern por- 
tion of what was the Barracks Ground and 
includes the ground on which the Guard 
House, the Private Soldiers' Quarters on 
the South side of the ground, the large 
stable that stood between these quarters 
and the bank of the Spring, the Officers' 
Quarters on the South, and 1 think those 



21 

on the North side of the Parade Ground, 
and possibly other buildings in the direc- 
tion of the Spring. It is to be regretted 
that the conveyance by Jonathan Holmes 
to the U. S. herein referred to of land 
along the line from the old mill dam to the 
black walnut corner is not on record. If 
this could be obtained, I have no doubt 
that the grounds as they existed in 1801 or 
earlier could be determined with accuracy. 
It also appears from the deed above recit- 
ed that the lane running southward from 
the Guard House was for the use of the U. 
tj. in common with the owners of other 
lands abutted on the same. What has be- 
come of the lane two perches wide that 
existed hetween this land and the lot of 
John Montgomery, Esq , (No. 91) 46 
perches to a post on the bank of tha Letort 
Spring, I can not say. This lane seems 
to have bounded the Barracks Ground on 
the south, from the lane fir.st above de- 
scribed, and said to contain 82 f^quare 
perches, and which was formerly used as 
the only access to the Barracks Grounds. 
It is quite probable that the site of 
Carlisle, (located as it was »t the crossing 
of the great Indian Trails or patds, leading 
North and South and East and West 
through this valley,) was occupied as a 
military post before the town was laid out 
in 1751. John O'Neil in a letter from 
Carlisle, of the 27th of May, 1753, says, 
"The garrison here consists only of twelve 
men. Tue Stockade originally occupied 
two acres of ground square, with a Block 
House in each corner. These buildings 
are now in ruins." It would hardly be 
possible for buildings that had only been 
erected two years before as a tort or stock- 
ade, should be in ruins when he wrote. 
These structures from what we know of 
ihem were certainly of a more permanent 



22 ^ 

V and substantial character. 

Fort Louther, occupying a position west 
of the centre of the town, whose boundar- 
ies have been approximately determined, 
is said to have been built in 1753, and 
whether a military post or a stockade fort, 
was garrisoned by soldiers at that early 
day. Fort Letort is said to have been 
erected the same year, but its location is 
obscured in doubt and uncertainty. It is 
probable, however, that it was built on or 
near the stream of that name, and I sub 
mit that it is quite likely that it was with- 
in the boundaries of Stanwick's iutrench- 
meuts thrown up in 1757, and if located 
on the east side of the Spring I have but 
little doubt that it stood within the bound- 
aries of the Carlisle Barracks enclosure. 
These intrenchments were located on tbe 
north side of North Street, adjoining the 
town limits, and if they did not extend 
across the Spring eastward, then they were 
within the space bounded ou the east by 
the Spring, on the south by North St., and 
on the west, northwest, and north, by 
Bedford street extended. This was the 
place assigned them in my boyhood days 
— say 1840 to '48, and I have no know- 
ledge, traditional or otherwise, that they 
extended beyond that stream. Still I am 
inclined to think, that although the in- 
trenchments or breastworks as they were 
sometimes called, were on the west side 
of the Spring, yet that the military forces 
here at that time and subsequently, occu- 
pied the higher ground on the east side of 
that stream for camp, barrack, and other 
building purposes. It must be remem- 
bered iu this connection that the grounds 
on the east side of the Spring as described 
in detail iu the deed from tbe Peun Pro- 
prietaries to the U. S , still belonged to 
the Penu Qrautores. Tbis view will ex- 



23 .. 

plain the language used by Thomas Penn 
(Proprietary) in his letter of Oct. 4, 1755, 
(See Col. Rec , page 730) in which writ- 
ing from London he says, "I am well 
pleased to hear you have laid out the 
ground for a Wooden Fort at Carlisle, and 
ordered one at Shippensburg and hope 
inhabitants will keep watch there as you 
have formed four Companies of Militia, if 
Col. Dunbar does not order some men into 
quarters in those places which I hope he 
will do by Mr. Shirley's orders, if he does 
not before resolve upon it." This letter 
was read in Council 1755. Robert H. 
Morris was the Lieutenant Governor. He 
was in Carlisle Jan. 15, 16 and 17, 1756, 
at a council with the ladians. Ou Jan. 
15, 1756, he wrote from Carlisle to Capl. 
Jocelyn what disposition to make of his 
troops. It also appears in the same vol- 
ume page 715 that Col Stanwick's writing 
from Carlisle speaks of digging the in- 
trenchments and the delay in their com- 
pletion as well as his purpose to extend 
these works. lu the same volume page 
737, Col. Haldyman commanding the 2d 
Bat. of Royal Americans stopped in Phila. 
Sept. 1757, on his march to Carlisle, exam- 
ined certain cannon— 12 pounders— and 
would consult Col. Scanwix and if deemed 
i^ecessary would order them to be taken 
to camp at Carlisle. The Governor also 
reported to Council on the Barracks. 
Commissioners chose the ground, dug 
foundations, contracted with workmen, 
agreed upon, then changed their minds, 
chose another place, changed the plan, 
bought the ground, and were at work with 
many hands without consulting him (the 
Governor) about anything. The Governor 
got the plan and submitted it to Col. 
Haldyman. It was objectionable to both. 
Wrote to stop work until the plan was ap 



24^ 

proved and spot found healthy and that he 
would ask Lord Loudon for an engineer. 
Three physicians viewed the spot and re- 
ported favorably upon it, but the Commis- 
sioners went on with the work and would 
not reply to him. la Vol. 8, page 71, 
under date of Apr 5, 1758, Sir John S^. 
Clair for the General commanding His 
Majesty's forces writes, "P. 8 I hope 
that the post through Carlisle to Winchest- 
er will be continued." Both Sir John St. 
Clair and Col. Haldyman made grievous 
complaints about the ill accommodatious 
of the forces in the Barracks. Ou page 
224. Oct. 22, 1758, Gen. John Forbes wrote 
the Governor from Kaystowu camp (now 
Bedford) what forts should be held "the 
forts of * * * Shippensburg and Carlisle 
ought to be garrisoned beside those on the 
other side of the Susquehanna." OupHge 
225 it appears that at that date at Ship- 
peusburg ana Carlisle there were 100 men 
out of a force of 1200. These references 
all point to a very considerable military 
establishment either at Carlisle or some- 
where in its vicinity. It was certainly not 
within the boundary of North, South, Eist 
and West Streets, nor was it immediately 
opposite these limits on the east side of 
the Spring. If located anywhere it mu'st 
have been north of the line of North St., 
and in proximity with these iutrenchments. 
In my judgement no other location meets 
the several requirements than the groumls 
above referred to, formerly known as the 
Carlisle Barracks and now the Indian In- 
dustrial School. 

It will be seen from the original docu- 
ments to be presented, that an Artillery 
Company as well as a company of Artillery 
and Artificers were stationed at Carlisle 
from 1777 to 1781 and probably later. 
These men had charge of a Laboratory, and 



25 • 

also what is known as The Public Works, 
in which they were engaged in the manu- 
facture of arms, ammunition and other 
military supplies. Quarters had to be 
provided for them, as well as work shops, 
factories and appliances by which they 
carried on the several occupations. These 
buildings were located ou the ground above 
referred to, and the Guard House still 
standing is an example of their work. 

In order that there may be no doubt or 
uncertainty as to the character of the ser- 
vices rendered and who rendered them, I 
propose now to quote from the Penna, 
Archives, Second Series, Vol. II, as to the 
organization of the Penna. State Regiment 
of Artillery, and the Artillery Artificers, 
with the officers who commanded the 
Companies stationed at Carlisle. The for- 
mer, generally known as Proctor's Artillery 
Regiment, was organized under a resolu- 
tion of The Council of Safety of Feb. 6,1777, 
for the defence of the State of Penna., and 
by a subsequent resolution of Feb. 28, 1777, 
it was to serve in any part of the U. S. 
during the war. After detailing their ser- 
vices (P. 191) at Bound Brook, (N. J.), 
Brandywine and Germantown, all rendered 
in 1777, we find (P. 192) a letter from 
Gen. Gates to the Artillery Officers, viz: 
Capts. Craig and Proctor, Capt. Lieut. 
Parker, Lieuts. Campbell and Parker, all 
stationed at Carlisle and written from the 
War Office Apr. 28, 1778, in which the 
following occurs, "Gentlemen: The Board 
have been favored with your Certificate of 
yesterday, in favor of Capt. Coren's Con- 
duct, with Regard to you. **** We deem 
your testimony fully satisfactory as to 
Capt. Coren, but are sorry any officers 
under his command are in a situation to 
be under the necessity, by any appeai- 
anee 'of concealing their ignorance'." 



26 

(After some further strictures on the eou- 
duct of these officers, the letter proceeds ) : 
The knowledge you have gained, it is ex- 
pected of the Laboratory Art, as well as 
your experience in life, must convince 
you of the truth of these general positions. 
And as you are sent to obtain a perfect 
knowledge of the business, not only on 
your own account, but to promulgate it 
thro' the States, the Board make no doubt 
of your diligently and manually applying 
yourself to the task you have undertaken. 
**' The time you have been at Carlisle 
was one argument with the Board, added 
to their anxiety to have the Laboratory 
Art more generally known, which induced 
them to write to Capt. Coren on the sub- 
ject, and we shall be happy to hear, on 
your return to camp, as we no doubt shall, 
that the knowledge you have gained by 
your residence at Carlisle, is equal to the 
expectations formed when the measure of 
sending you there is adopted. If tnere is 
any inequality in your acquirements, it 
will be found that those know most who 
have done most work. The greatest mili- 
tary characters have thought nothing too 
minute or too laborious. The great Tur- 
enne carried a musket for a twelve month, 
and the Czar Peter was not satisfied with 
seeing a ship built, but employed himself 
as a common laborer in the lowest and 
most laborious part of the business. * * * 
(Signed) Horatio Gates, President. 

Prom a general return of this regiment 
of March 29, 1780, there were 189 officers 
and men, and this is followed by a list of 
those who served fiom Feb. 1777, to Apr. 
9, 1781. 

On page 231 it appears that Capt. Isaac 
Coren's Co., was enlisted as an independ- 
ent Co. of Artillery, but seems to have 
been employed mainly in the Laboratory 



27 

in preparing ammnnitioa for the Continen- 
tal Arnay. TtiouKh employed as Artillery 
Artifiicers, Capt. Coren refused to ac- 
knowledge himself under the direction of 
Col. Flowers who had command of that 
branch of the service, and by an order of 
Jan. 1, 1781, his Co. was incorporated 
with Capt. Porter's Co. (p 231 Penna. 
Arch. O. S. V. 7, p 294, and idem Vol. 8, 
p 469 & 695 for other details as to Capt. 
Coren's service and discharge.) 

The Artillery Artiffieers Corps (p 241) 
was raised by direction of Gen. Washing- 
ton in the summer of 1777. Benjamin 
Flower was made Col. and Commissioner 
of Military Stores. Companies were sta- 
tioned at Carlisle and Pnila. and their 
duties were to cast cannon, bore guns and 
prepare ammunition for the use of the 
army. The officers with which we shall 
have mainly to do were Col. Berj. Flower, 
Maj. Chas. Lukens, Surgeon Sal. McCosk- 
ry, Capts. Nathaniel Irish, Thos. Wylif, 
John Jordon and others. 



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